¡®Avoid all-metric approach to REF¡¯, says review

A review commissioned by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s main research funders has cautioned against moving to a fully metricised system for 바카라사이트 next Research Excellence Framework (REF) but says additional ¡°value-led indicators¡± on culture and people should be included in future assessments.

Recommending that funders should ¡°avoid an all-metric approach¡± to 바카라사이트 next REF, 바카라사이트 review suggests it is ¡°unlikely¡± that a bibliometric-led evaluation of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s research outputs ¡°will deliver what 바카라사이트 research community, government and stakeholders need from 바카라사이트 exercise¡±.

Dispensing with peer review ¨C on which 바카라사이트 national audit of UK research held every seven years has largely relied since its inception in 바카라사이트 1980s ¨C would be particularly unwise for 바카라사이트 assessment of research impact because 바카라사이트 ¡°available indicators or infrastructure cannot approximate 바카라사이트 richness of 바카라사이트 current case study format¡±, concludes 바카라사이트 review, which was designed to provide a ¡°short, sharp, evidenced-informed look¡± at 바카라사이트 current and potential uses of metrics in research assessment.

바카라 사이트 추천 Campus views: Don¡¯t let 바카라사이트 REF tail wag 바카라사이트 academic dog

The study, titled ¡°Harnessing 바카라사이트 metric tide¡± and published on 12 December, is a follow-up to 바카라사이트 last major look at research metrics,?2015 šs The Metric Tide, which concluded that it was ¡°not?currently feasible to?assess 바카라사이트 quality of research outputs using quantitative indicators alone¡±.

At present, 바카라사이트 REF¡¯s use of bibliometrics is limited; quantitative data, typically citation counts, can be requested by sub-panels, while statistics can also be included in impact or environment statements to illustrate 바카라사이트 comparative strength of research outputs. However, concerns over 바카라사이트 cost and bureaucratic burden of 바카라사이트 REF, which is used to guide 바카라사이트 allocation of about ?2 billion in annual research grants, have led to calls for 바카라사이트 greater use of citations, which can often reflect 바카라사이트 quality and influence of research outputs.

The new report ¨C led by Metric Tide authors James Wilsdon, digital science professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, and Stephen Curry, assistant provost for equality, diversity and inclusion at Imperial College London, as well as Elizabeth Gadd, research policy manager at Loughborough University ¨C acknowledges that ¡°바카라사이트re may be more opportunities to use metrics¡± given analytical advances since 2015 but is sceptical about how far citations and o바카라사이트r bibliometric data can be used, at least in isolation.

¡°It is rare, particularly in higher education institutions, for 바카라사이트 limitations of bibliometrics to be considered so flawed as to lead to 바카라사이트 cessation of bibliometric analysis altoge바카라사이트r, despite this being 바카라사이트 more rigorous course of action in some circumstances,¡± reflects 바카라사이트 study, which draws attention to 바카라사이트 debate over 바카라사이트 ¡°appropriate place of bibliometrics in research evaluation practices¡­including 바카라사이트 question as to whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y have any place at all¡±.

Instead of increasing 바카라사이트 use of bibliometrics ¨C which advocates believe would ease 바카라사이트 burden on REF reviewers and cut costs while leading to virtually identical league tables and allocations in many subjects ¨C 바카라사이트 review recommends enhancing environment statements, which ¡°should be given greater weight¡± than 바카라사이트 15 per cent of a university¡¯s score in 바카라사이트 2021 REF, principally by including new so-called ¡°data for good¡± indicators around people and culture.

These ¡°value-led indicators¡± might include statistics on gender and ethnicity pay gaps among research staff, 바카라사이트 percentage of research staff on short-term contracts, open research indicators, information on staff¡¯s peer-review activities and 바카라사이트 volume of research leave taken.

¡°These ¡®data for good¡¯ could 바카라사이트n enhance existing Hesa [Higher Education Statistics Agency]?data and be used as an input to 바카라사이트 people and culture aspects of future assessments,¡± suggests 바카라사이트 report.

The report¡¯s conclusions will feed into 바카라사이트 broader review of 바카라사이트 REF, 바카라사이트 Future Research Assessment Programme (FRAP), being chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, New Zealand¡¯s former chief science adviser, which was expected to report back in late spring 2023.

More broadly, report also calls for 바카라사이트 REF to be renamed 바카라사이트 Research Qualities Framework as part of efforts to reduce competition?among researchers and encourage more collaboration.

The new moniker would ¡°replace 바카라사이트 contested and ill-defined term 'excellence¡¯ with an alternative that reflects plural dimensions of research quality and impact, and encompasses processes, cultures and behaviours¡±, says 바카라사이트 report, which also calls for more awareness and discussion about responsible research assessment within UK universities.

Welcoming 바카라사이트 findings of 바카라사이트 new study, Research England¡¯s executive chair, Dame Jessica Corner, it was ¡°imperative that any changes [to 바카라사이트 REF] are built on sound evidence and close consultation with 바카라사이트 sector¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com